


When you're going through Hell, keep going

by keerawa



Category: Dungeons & Dragons (Roleplaying Game), Pathfinder (RPG)
Genre: Bad Ideas, Deal with a Devil, Gen, Morally Ambiguous Character, Role-Playing Game
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-12-24
Updated: 2014-12-24
Packaged: 2018-03-03 04:53:40
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 666
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2838713
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/keerawa/pseuds/keerawa
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>This is why we can't have nice things.</p>
            </blockquote>





	When you're going through Hell, keep going

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Malkontent](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Malkontent/gifts).



The party healed and searched the bodies in the aftermath of their latest battle. As they'd hoped, the second copy of the contract was found on one of the devils' corpses. After a brief consultation with the wizard, Yamira burned both parchments while uttering a prayer to her goddess. The flickering, tormented soul that had haunted their steps appeared for a moment, finally at peace, before disappearing in a flash of light.

They paused to regroup, take a few sips of water, and prepare to confront the darkness at the center of this terrifying demi-plane. They were almost out of spells, but this was no place to make camp. The air itself was inimical to mortals, each breath leaving their lungs aching from the unholy cold. A frost of toxic black liquid sparkled on every surface. Below the sullen silence, almost too quiet to hear, were the unending, wailing screams of the damned.

The solid iron door before them stood a full fifty feet tall. Gideon moved forward to check it for traps, but the moment he reached towards the lock, the door disappeared, leaving them standing in the entry to an enormous marble-walled hall.

A giant red-skinned devil sat behind a mahogany desk covered in parchments. His horns projected a full twenty feet beyond his shoulders; a handful of imps hovered in the air behind him, polishing and cleaning their ivory span.

"At long last, a group of heroes worthy of the name," the devil said, his voice like a roll of thunder in the mountains. "You disposed of that pack of useless minions quite well, although I did think for a moment there my Handmaiden might drag the ranger back to Hell with her."

Atticus winced and drifted towards the back of the party, sorting through his quiver for his most powerful arrows.

"Many have sought me out to grant their heart's desires. So tell me - what do you want?" the devil asked.

"I want to free every one of the souls you've imprisoned, destroy this demi-plane, and return home with your decapitated head as a trophy," Yamira said, drawing her sword.

The devil chuckled. "An aggressive opening to negotiations. I respect that. But the only way to leave this plane is by entering into a contract with me. What about you, wizard, what do you want?"

Sebastian hesitated. "What are you offering?"

"My power is limited only by my clients' imagination."

"And what would you want in return?" Sebastian asked, stepping towards the desk.

"He wants your soul, of course," Yamira said, muttering a prayer that lit her sword with a golden light.

"Adventurers such as yourselves are far too experienced to bargain with souls. No, I have a more modest proposal. My Master has need of powerful allies. In return for a pledge of your service should he call upon you in the future, I can offer you three wishes."

"Three wishes total for the group, or three each?" Gideon clarified, joining Sebastian before the devil's giant desk.

"Oh for – I smite thee, devil, by the power of my Lady!" shouted Yamira, charging into the room. Four bearded devils appeared out of the shadows to block her path. The first fell to the ground with three white-finned arrows protruding from its chest.

The greater devil jumped from behind the desk to land heavily between the rogue and the wizard, the stone cracking beneath his hooves.

"Hey, I'm feeling a little conflicted here, would you mind if I just sat this one out?" Sebastian asked anxiously.

"By all means," the devil murmured, eyes glowing red. "Sit down behind my desk. I'll speak with you later, wizard."

"That's right," Yamira said, ducking under a pole arm to skewer the devil wielding it. "We'll _speak_ later, Sebastian!"

"Sorry about this," Gideon apologized as his silver dagger appeared, embedded deep in the devil's lower back. "I would have liked to at least look over the fine print, but paladins, they can be so unreasonable, you know?"


End file.
